BOERNE — Facing his first re-election challenge since becoming mayor here in 2011, Mike Schultz pushes for a unified approach to handling rapid growth while Chuck Peña, a political novice, calls for slowing its pace and stepping up the fight against crime.

“With growth comes crime,” Peña said at a forum Wednesday where he touted his ongoing peace officer training and called lawlessness in his former hometown of San Antonio “out of control.”

Peña, who has worked as a Northside Independent School District adult and community education site leader off and on for seven years since 2008, called the safety of citizens his first priority and said he’s willing to make arrests himself, if necessary.

He wants more Boerne police officers put on night duty, when crooks are most active, saying, “They seem to be getting away.”

“With my law enforcement experience, I’m not afraid to take matters into my own hands,” Peña told the forum audience of about 40 people at Morningside Ministries at Menger Springs.

“There’s an open tax revenue stream that is available to us that we’re not utilizing, for some reason,” said Peña, who moved to Boerne three years ago. “Once I’m in office, I’ll reveal it.”

Schultz, 69, a vice president at Sonora Bank, moved here in 1993 and served five years as a Boerne Independent School District trustee before defeating Mayor Dan Heckler six years ago.

He describes Boerne’s rapid residential and commercial growth as a blessing that brings with it many challenges and benefits.

The city faces greater demands for new roads and facilities, he said, but it also banked more than $6 million in sales tax revenues last year from its growing business sector. That’s roughly the same amount it collected in city property taxes.

“Income from sales taxes has allowed us to fund infrastructure improvements,” said Schultz, highlighting several current and upcoming road projects undertaken with help from the Texas Department of Transportation and Kendall County.

He stressed the importance of forging a unified community strategy to address growth-related issues, and of crafting blueprints to guide development like the city’s 1996 master plan, which is now being updated.

“We are prepared to address the infrastructure needs that we have,” Schultz told the audience.

Peña said the city doesn’t need a master plan and predicted that the extensive road upgrades — while needed — might make a bad situation worse.

“I agree with everything being done (to improve the local traffic flow), but I’m wondering, ‘Is it too much?’ If we build it, they will come,” he said, adding, “I’m going to try to keep Boerne small.”

Austin tried to inhibit its growth by slowing needed road construction, Schultz responded, noting, “It’s the worst place to drive in the state today.”

He credited his inclusive leadership style with helping Boerne maintain its character despite the influx of new residents.

“I believe Boerne is better than ever and it will continue to improve and be a special place,” Schultz said.